Key takeaways from the Building for the Future event

Building for the future means rethinking how we design, develop and operate our buildings.

Last week Ben Cowley and Sam Riddell-Webster attended Bisnow‘s Building for the Future: The UK ESG Real Estate Conference, joining industry leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping a more sustainable built environment.

Here are five key takeaways from the day:

– EPC B by 2031 is already shaping investment decisions. Investors and developers are preparing for tighter MEES requirements, although further clarity is needed on how the proposed 1,000m² threshold will apply. A shift from floor-by-floor upgrades towards whole-building strategies is becoming increasingly likely.

– Retrofit over rebuild is gaining momentum. As one speaker put it, no new building is truly good for the environment. Retrofitting existing assets not only reduces environmental impact but also preserves the character and identity that make cities like London so attractive.

– Embodied carbon is moving up the agenda. With measurable targets and contractual penalties becoming more common, attention is turning towards decarbonising supply chains, particularly carbon-intensive materials such as concrete.

– Tenant collaboration is essential. While some occupiers are already monitoring Energy Use Intensity (EUI), others are at the beginning of their sustainability journey. Greater collaboration between landlords, tenants and project teams will be critical to making meaningful progress.

– We need to design for a building’s second and third life. Adaptability, flexibility, circularity and design for disassembly must become central to design decisions. And sometimes, the most sustainable solution is a simpler one, with less equipment and fewer controls, rather than more.

The overarching message? Delivering genuinely sustainable buildings requires a more holistic, collaborative and long-term approach, with decisions made today considering the entire lifecycle of an asset.

A great event with plenty of valuable insights and conversations.

If you’d like to discuss any of these themes or learn more about WP3’s sustainability offering, get in touch with Ben or Sam.